The Imps secured their place in the SkyBet League Two playoffs after coming from behind against Yeovil Town. Tom Pett proved to be the heartbreaker from a Glovers point of view as they thought they'd secured a final day win. Jordan Green had put the visitors in the lead but Pett was the hero, scoring a delightful equalising goal to seal the playoff berth on a beautiful day in front of the biggest crowd of the season at Sincil Bank.
The atmosphere in the stadium was as hot as the sun as the game got underway in front of a packed Sincil Bank stadium and when Ollie Palmer had a sniff of a chance in the penalty area there was a sharp intake of breath as the ball headed goalwards but Shaun Donnallan blocked.
City kept up the intensity with the ball staying in the Glover’s half of the field for much of the opening ten minutes as the sun continued to beat down, Palmer was in the thick of the action inside the Yeovil box but saw his route to goal blocked again, but this time by two defenders.
However, there was a shock when the visitors broke free for the first time in the game and were to take the lead, Jordan Green was to profit, getting into the area on the left to somehow squeeze a shot past Ryan Allsop. The crowd and players in red and white weren’t downhearted and continued to pile on the pressure.
Matt Rhead won a header in the area and aimed it towards Michael Bostwick but Donnallan hacked clear.
Once again though on the break, the Glovers were a threat and Green was in the heart of the attack, his marauding run ended with the ball bobbling to Lewis Wing who tried a measured curler from outside the box, which went over the angle of post and bar. Francois Zoko tried a header as a bouncing ball came into the Imps’ penalty area, however, he couldn’t get enough purchase on it to really trouble Allsop as the visitors confidence grew.
However, the life was sucked out of the visitors when Bevis Mugabi handled the ball inside the area giving City the chance to equalise, but Matt Green couldn’t convert as Artur Krysiak saved his initial effort before Green then hammered the rebound against the crossbar. The striker then grazed the outside of the post as he smashed a half volley just wide of the mark as The Imps began to pour forward.
There was a real ebb and flow to the game as City kept pushing forward, Zoko though almost silenced the home supporters as he muscled his way into a shooting chance but the striker scuffed his shot and it bobbled wide of goal. Rhead won a flick on right at the edge of the penalty area, which landed on the head of Palmer who kept the ball in the air, and turned it on target Krysiak though was equal to it grasping possession confidently.
Half Time
The Imps 0 Yeovil Town 1
Ahead of the second half, Imps’ manager Danny Cowley asked for more from the home supporters, urging them to turn up the volume and they duly responded. Their positivity almost brought a chance for Green within the opening minute, but Donnellan just managed to hold of the attentions of the City number 10 who was breathing down his neck on the edge of the penalty area.
Elliott Whitehouse made a purposeful run down the right before being brought down but The Imps couldn’t profit from the free kick, but the front foot attitude of City was becoming more and more prominent. Eardley found Whitehouse with a deep corner but the midfielder couldn’t get his effort on target with The Imps knocking on the door. A delightful ball into the centre of the area from Eardley was then somehow cleared with Matt Rhead, Green and Palmer all trying to get on the end of it as the visitors clung desperately onto their lead.
The attacking trio then combined to win a corner for the Imps with the fans urging them forward to get the equaliser and they were so close to it, Luke Waterfall leapt majestically to head at goal, his effort was blocked but Rhead got there and looped the ball over the advancing Krysiak unfortunately though the ball hit the top of the crossbar before bouncing out of play.
Eardley tried a shot from the edge of the box which was swerving on its way through the penalty area which Krysiak watched into his arms, with City still looking the more likely to score. That proved to be true with just 13 minutes to go, and what a goal it was. After City thought the chance to score had gone following a Matt Rhead header at the back post, being half cleared, it fell to TOM PETT who measured the most delightful of efforts into the top corner to send the home support into raptures and The Imps into the playoffs.
Full Time
The Imps 1 Yeovil Town 1
The Imps
22 Ryan ALLSOP
4 Elliott WHITEHOUSE
5 Luke WATERFALL
6 Scott WHARTON
8 Ollie PALMER
9 Matt RHEAD
10 Matt GREEN
15 James WILSON
16 Michael BOSTWICK
23 Neal EARDLEY
30 Alex WOODYARD
Substitutes
1 Paul FARMAN
2 Sean LONG
7 Tom PETT (56’ for Wilson)
12 Ellis CHAPMAN
14 Jordan WILLIAMS (75’ for Eardley)
26 Harry ANDERSON (64’ for Palmer)
36 Declan O’HARE
Booking: Green 61’
GOAL: Pett 77'
Yeovil Town
1 Artur KRYSIAK
4 Jared BIRD
5 Bevis MUGABI
6 Lewis WING
7 Otis KHAN
13 Francois ZOKO
15 Jordan GREEN
18 Alex FISHER
22 Corey WHELAN
23 Tom JAMES
27 Shaun DONNELLAN
Substitutes
24 Steve PHILLIPS
3 Nathan SMITH
9 Rhys BROWNE (72’ for Green)
14 Sam SURRIDGE (81’ for Fisher)
19 Marcus BARNES
20 Oscar GOBERN (67’ for Khan)
30 Alefe SANTOS
GOAL: Green 10’
Booking: Donnellan 71’
Referee: Eddie Ilderton
Assistants: Geoffrey Liddle & Stuart Butler
Attendance : 10,004 (273 Yeovil supporters)
